Kicking off Awards Season

It has been a crazy time.  And most readers would agree.  For the last couple of years, ‘change’ has decided to grab on and take a chokehold in every aspect of life.  Global volatility, the state of our country, the state of our livelihoods, the state of our relationships, the state of our physical bodies are all under scrutiny and duress.  I’m not at all qualified to speak about the political and economic situation we are currently faced with.  So I will leave that to people like Bill Maher and John Stewart.  What I think is fascinating is the current state of the entertainment industry.  We are seeing an industry in flux.  Never before has technology been so easily attainable by one and all.  For about $5,000 grand a person can set themselves up as a filmmaker, editor and distributor.  Now, I want to make it very clear that just because someone owns the new fangled gizmo that takes gorgeous HD video does not a filmmaker make.  A filmmaker has to have an eye.  A filmmaker has to have a vision.  Just because anyone can shoot a three minute video on the best pro-sumer equipment does not an artist make.  Filmmaking is a craft.  It takes discipline and sensibility from picking the best script, accessing the best talent for that script, an ear for dialogue and sound, surrounding yourself with experts in their field like art direction, sound, wardrobe and costumes, marrying yourself to a cinematographer who can visually interpret the script and your vision for such.  I liken it to the idea that just because someone bought a bunch of paint does not make that person an artist. 

I recently chimed in on a blog about ‘How to make a living in the film business’.  Just like the state of our country the disparity between the haves and the have nots are reflected in the disparity between the studios (and mini majors) and those who are wholly independent.  And I want to be clear.  No one is making money at the moment.  Not the studios and not the independent filmmakers trying to do what they love.  MGM recently filed chapter 11.  And yet You Tube is in negotiations t o begin producing content for their channels. Today there are no mid level boutique studios that championed the art house releases like Pi or Sex, Lies and Videotape.  Just like the death of the middle class, the boutiques either went out of business or were snapped up by the studios.  Hostile take-overs? I’m not sure, but if you can buy the competition then do it.  Right now we have a glut of content.  There is so much product out there with so many ways to access it that it is overwhelming to the consumer.  Do I watch my TV, my DVD, my cable, my computer, my wii, my ipod or what?  With so many choices it makes one tired. We tend to romanticize times when life was simpler.  It wasn’t simple. There just weren’t as many choices.  One thing is clear and that is the internet is the new TV/Theatre. It is the point of delivery. The only difference is that the consumer is also the programmer. So how do you connect with the person who will watch your film? OR How do you find the films that you are dying to see that aren't released in the traditional venues.  Film Festivals now have more power than before.  In years past it was a communal experience to watch films that wouldn’t make it to your local multiplex.  Now Festivals are the only place where an audience depends on the programmer.  If you can get into a festival, that gives your film some credibility whether good or bad. With the convenience of watching entertainment at home and the prevalence of ADD, movies and the way they are edited are bending to the will of the viewer.  In the US if you have a 90 minute film or shorter then you have the perfect programmable piece of cinema.  Film classics like The Godfather or Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane are way too long.  Editing has been tailored to a fast-paced world.  Our attention as a culture can’t stand the pregnant pause. I call this the MTV effect because that’s where it began.  It is a style that delivers only the peaks of the story.  Watch NBC for an evening and you’ll know what I’m talking about.  What is the correlation?  Our culture has grown accustomed to instant gratification.  Our experiences at work and at home fall below our expectations because we are constantly fed a false ideal.  We can’t relax.  We can’t really relate.  I know I am looking at the glass half empty at the moment but there has to be a shift.  Is the media and entertainment industry a reflection of our lives or is it being forced on us because execs need to fulfill a bottom line.  It seems like everything comes down to the almighty dollar and what it is we value.  The flip side of this perception is that filmmakers are now empowered to deliver their works of art directly to their audience.  And those audiences are deciding what they want to watch.  I read that if you can make a film for under $250K then you can peddle it on the web with your own DVD/VOD and possibly sell the foreign rights and make your money back and then some.  Anything higher than that is a gamble and only a studio can afford to sink a major chunk of capital and break even.  In another blog I read that Rene Zellweger’s latest film cannot find distribution.  So the idea that name talent in front of the camera and behind does not guarantee a theatrical release or even a DVD/VOD with major player. In yet another piece of entertainment news Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boals cannot get financing behind their indie project.  Kathryn just won the first female (ever) best director Oscar this past year for The Hurt Locker.  Does that not account for anything?  Expect the unexpected this year.  Surprises abound. 

The Golden Globes and SAG Awards were just announced over the past few days.  I am excited about ‘The King’s Speech’.  I said last week: Colin Firth – Best Actor and Geoffrey Rush – Best Supporting.  Also I find Boardwalk Empire among the nominees for best series.  I am a big Scorcese fan and have been glued to the tube every Sunday night since it premiered.  The only recognizable people are Steve Buscemi and Gretchen Mol.  Michael Pitt has only recently come to the forefront for his work as ‘Blake’, a Curt Cobain character in ‘Last Days’, and, of course, Dawson’s Creek.  That gives me hope for the actors in A Rogue in Londinium.  They deserve to be recognized for their talent and creative spirit.  With so much to watch how does a film rise to the forefront of its audience’s attention?  Publicity and Marketing?  Social Media networking?  All of the above?   What if a small film with a lot of potential doesn’t have the budget for PR or the kind of marketing required to get the attention it needs?  I asked Elizabeth, the director, what her hopes and fears are for the coming year regarding her Victorian drama.

“I will be meeting with a publicist in January.” She told me.

“What do you hope to gain from it?” I ask.  “I’m curious myself since I’ve never ventured into the world of marketing.”

“Well, at the very least I hope that bloggers and writers in prominent periodicals and online magazines might say a word or two or even interview some of the actors about the project.  I think we have a very interesting model.  The way we made it with no outside help could be inspiring to other filmmakers and actors wanting to film their own projects.”

“And the best you can hope for?” I ask.

“The best would be to appear on TV and radio and really talk about the story, our experiences and engage in a dialogue with people out there in the same situation.”  She says.

“Define your situation.” I ask.

“Well, we made a period film for under $100K, SAG signatory, utilizing ebay for production design and costumes.  Our actors come from the theatre, and our behind the camera team had only one other film under their belts.  We have no recognizable names (to date) affiliated.”  She clarifies.  “When I hear Cinderella stories like these about independent films it really makes me want to go and see them.  It gets me excited that the art is still alive despite the financial crisis.”

“So you think A Rogue in Londinium is a kind of Cinderella?” I ask.

“Sure.  I’m just waiting for my other glass slipper.”  She chuckles.

Name That Tune

It has happened to you as sure as it has to me. A melody or a few chords gets stuck in your brain and you can’t get it out. It occurs sometimes in the middle of the night. A song gets stuck playing over and over as if your brain hiccupped and keeps belching the same sounds again and again and then you’re left with trying to name it or reference it to a movie. The marriage of image and score is probably one of the most revolutionary as well as the most all-encompassing experiences one can have aside from a virtual existence with all five senses engaged. As a culture growing up with cinema we often sentimentalize our own memories to emotionally poignant movie scores. I know I have. The first flickers at the turn of the last century were accompanied by an organ or piano or a violin. Whatever the theatre at the time could house. By 1929 the technology had moved quickly to be able to marry actual sound and image. The early movies didn’t have much of a score. Music may have introduced the film and ended the film and the rest was actual dialogue, reference and foley. I can’t imagine a film today without some kind of score no matter how minimal. A filmmaker would be making a huge statement by obliterating music completely in his or her film. I think they’re called ‘experimental’.

I love music. I adore it. I am a band junkie. I could go from club to club and listen to all sorts of music. As a cinephile it is as important to my experience as the actors onscreen. One of the first scores/soundtracks that moved me and actually changed my perception of music in film and what it elicits on a visceral level was Peter Gabriel’s score for The Last Temptation of Christ. For me the soundtrack became a representation of what I thought I believed and not so much the images of the movie. Another example is the score from The Road to Perdition with original music by Thomas Newman. The music from that film is much more memorable than the actual movie. Certainly it was beautifully shot and I remember Paul Newman and Tom Hanks but I couldn’t tell you the storyline. The music, however, is at once haunting and yet is filled with quiet yearning. There are moments in the music when a melancholy and sense of disappointment and loss pervades the orchestration. When I sat down and talked with Elizabeth, the director of A Rogue in Londinium, we realized we had similar tastes in movie scores. She said that as she edited the scenes together she had used several pieces of Thomas Newman’s music as a scratch track. I asked her where and the scenes she described made complete sense. Other scratch tracks included Michael Convertino’s Children of a Lesser God, and Maurice Jarre’s Witness as well as Anne Dudley’s music for Tristan and Isolde. After seeing the finished film I have to say that the score for A Rogue in Londinium is amazing. If I hear a snippet of music from the movie I am taken right back to that emotional moment in the film. That is the mark of a successful score. I asked Elizabeth about the process.

“I work with a wonderful composer and musician, Jimi Zhivago. He scored my last film, My Brother’s War.” She says.

“So how do you approach Jimi and get him to give you what it is you want musically?” I ask.

“Well, you know I’ve worked with him on two features now and they were very different musically. The first was an intimate Civil War story and Jimi had some really great ideas about how to incorporate music into it. He runs Stanton Street Records and so he has access to a lot of talent. The music of that period is his forte. So instead of scoring the whole film he managed to put together a soundtrack of songs. Some were original from Kim Taylor, other’s were traditional tunes played by consummate musicians and amazing singers. People still find my email and request a CD of the soundtrack six years later. I forward them onto Jimi. When I approached Jimi with Londinium I said that I wanted the score to be minimal, subtle and only accent the scenes. I didn’t think actual songs would work for this story. I suggested that the score be only a select few instruments or even single instruments with only a few chords---almost a soundscape. I let him see the film with the scratch track and he made a few notes. Then we went into the studio and for two full days he played instruments to picture, laid tracks, mixed and we walked away with this amazing piece of music that I, myself cannot separate from the characters.” She explains.

“So he scored the whole film in two days?” I ask incredulous.

“Yes. It was amazing. I love working with him. Because we had worked together before we developed a short hand. He would play something and I would know immediately if it was right---if it captured what I was after in the scene.” She says. “Then there were moments when he would play and I would sit there with tears in my eyes because the music was so right and it exceeded anything that I could have imagined.”

“Which pieces of music?” I ask.

“I call it the snow scene when Victoria an Richard first meet on the cold London street and there’s a snow flurry.” She answers. “From that point, that first meeting, Jimi found Victoria’s theme. So he expanded it and when they unknowingly reunite for tea, that theme, Victoria’s theme, takes me right to that place---those first moments of attraction and infatuation.” She says.

“So what was the scratch track?” I ask.

“For the snow scene it was that first magical sound in Witness. It is a musical interpretation of tingles and goose bumps, mystery and curiosity.” She says.

If memory serves well it is when John Book can see the Amish woman bathing through the window---a powerfully sensual scene.

“Give me one more example.” I request.

“This may be a spoiler for your readers but towards the end of the film Victoria suffers a miscarriage and her life is at stake. Jimi came up with this amazing piece of music that is contemplative and woeful but as the scene moves along and Richard is recalling this moment of making love to Victoria, there’s a flashback/memory and we see Victoria’s face and the way that she drinks him in. In that brief moment her expression reveals this soul connection that is absolutely unconditional. Musically there are a few chords of violins and then as her face reveals her all encompassing love and compassion, the most subtle piano notes sounding like raindrops seems to step up in tone. I know I’m not describing it well, but because it moves up and not down, that trickle of feeling that is the piano is the flicker of hope that she will live and they will be together..forever. That one makes me cry more than any of the other pieces because it lodges down near the heart, you know?” She says. Then she turns at her desk and finds the scene on her editing system and plays it for me. Sure enough it is an understated piece of music and it certainly tugs at my heartstrings.

“So tell me about the suspenseful scenes.” I ask.

“I said I wanted something rhythmic, almost tribal, but not African, more Middle Eastern. I can’t say why those sounds seemed to fit with my idea about a killer but I kept hearing those scenes with that kind of music.” She said.

“So Jimi came up with middle eastern instruments?” I ask stupidly.

“No. It was the rhythm that I was interested in. It was a Peter Gabriel kind of thing.” She says.

“AHA! I love Peter Gabriel!” I exclaim.

“So in the end Jimi adjusted a drum. And he began a beat and then kept building as the suspense in the scene was building. And all it ended up being was that drum solo with cymbal crashes at the end. It really was amazing because onscreen I had a dancer come in and move seductively and rhythmically as part of the scene and the actress and the music merged magically.” She explains.

“It was definitely mesmerizing. The audience was absolutely engaged and the music was entrancing.” I say.

When I think of composers I think of people like John Williams who has created some of the most memorable scores with Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and E.T., et. al. Then there’s James Horner of Braveheart, Glory, Titanic and Avatar fame. Ennio Morricone who is a maestro of composition with such films as: The Mission, The Untouchables and Cinema Paradiso. When A Rogue in Londinium is released Jimi will be sought after for his musical gifts even more than he already is.

Step Right Up, Folks!

I must apologize for my absence firstly to the filmmakers of A Rogue in Londinium and to all of you out there who sometimes surf here to my blog. I’ve been MIA in remote parts Tanzania and Khazakstan helping work on a documentary. Can’t say any more about the project for nondisclosure reasons but, alas, I am back in the good ole’ US of A. Upon my return I have found some exciting films about to be released and am eager to compile and compare. What I find interesting is that several of these high profile films and possible Oscar contenders are period pieces. In the time I’ve been away the chatter about new distribution modes and the beginning of festival season has been amazing, surprising, depressing and yet refreshingly challenging. 

I want to begin with “The King’s Speech”. It began as a play and was adapted for the screen. However, because of budget constraints the pomp and circumstance of Royal Britain, i.e., the crowds, balls and state dinners could not be produced. It makes for a very intimate human drama with a good amount of classic British humor and fascinating behavior. It is a favorite in the Oscar race. The performances are sublime and nuanced with a handful of favorites with a cast including Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. A film about the younger brother with a speech impediment in line for the throne after his older sibling, Edward, abdicates for the love of an American divorcee would be a hard sell. It is the stuff that the Weinstein brothers like best and recalls their past accomplishments and roots. Having strayed way off the path the Weinsteins first sold Miramax to Disney in 1993 and then tried to buy it back. They left the Disney owned studio in 2005 and after expanding in ventures on the internet, social media and gaming and trying to grab a demographic not usually theirs they found themselves in deep debt scaling back to the essential elements that made them trailblazers in the first place with classics like Pulp Fiction, Heavenly Creatures and Shakespeare in Love. They remind me of the old days when Sam Goldwyn would pull a rabbit out of his hat like “The Best Years of Our Lives” (directed by William Wyler in 1946). “The King’s Speech” is one to watch and you will be satisfied. Colin Firth for Best Actor and Geoffrey Rush as Best Supporting.

The second film “The Conspirator” is the first production for The American Film Company. It has committed to making films absolutely based on the facts of American History. The founder of Ameritrade is the force behind this interesting new company. Where Ted Turner fell in love with the Civil War and at times made exceptional films like “Gettysburg” and “Andersonville”, his passion for the subject seemed to exhaust the interest of his larger audiences. “Gods and Generals” was mediocre at best and the third in the trilogy, “The Last Full Measure” has been in the works for years now. The American Film Company’s creed involves all of American History. Stories we were never told in school, truths that have been hiding, myths that no longer satisfy and adventures lost in the dusty archives of our libraries.

“The Conspirator” is more like an old time movie – Inherit the Wind or Twelve Angry Men. A period courtroom drama set during the Civil War. Directed by Robert Redford and starring James MacAvoy and Robin Wright Penn as Mary Surratt and her court appointed attorney. After John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln and was tracked down and shot, Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War at the time took over the running of the government. To quell any thoughts of insurrection and rebellion by the South they rounded up anyone associated with Booth as conspirators in the plot. Mary Surratt’s son escaped and was never found yet she was held responsible on the thin evidence that they met once in the boarding house she ran. In the end she was publicly hung. Her attorney, a Union veteran is torn between the honorable reasons he fought in the Civil War and the sham trial being performed to satisfy public discontent. Will it find its audience to sustain a theatrical release? It premiered in Toronto this year without a distributor. However, Lionsgate and Roadside have agreed to roll it out for a March 2011 release. Is Redford whispering to Oscar with this period drama?

“Bel Ami” is another small period flick with Robert Pattinson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Uma Thurman. Set in 1895 in Paris, Bel Ami is the story of Georges Duroy, who travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute’s embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties, in a world where politics and media jostle for influence, where sex is power and celebrity an obsession. This logline comes courtesy of the official website. Here is a small film based on a classic novel, produced by Simon Fuller of American Idol fame and it had quite a hard time finding a distributor. Studio Canal of France finally agreed to release it in that country for May 2011 and Optimum Releasing will pick it up for a UK release in August. How can a movie with Robert Pattinson of the Twilight trilogy vampire fame not find distribution in the US? It makes one pause. The power is shifting from the studios that are going broke to the filmmakers who can - with the power of the web - reach their audiences without a middleman. According to a recent quote from Thomas Mai, ‘now more than ever is the time for filmmakers to hold onto their film’s rights.’ That is the only way a filmmaker will see any revenue from his or her project. Sell the foreign territories but hang onto the North American DVD, VOD rights.

Now this brings me to “A Rogue in Londinium”. I was away during the private screening at the Player’s Club in New York in October but the filmmakers graciously accommodated me and a few close friends that were not able to make the earlier date. A mutual friend had access to a small screening room in the building where he lives and we sat down the other night to take a look at Elizabeth’s new film. Wow…I was speechless for some time. Knowing what I know about how they made it for less than $100K, I was astounded, impressed and moved. The performances each rock solid and nuanced, stand up to the previously mentioned films. Whit Hamilton has succeeded in carrying his part of the story with sex appeal, charisma and poignant vulnerability. An unlikely choice for the part he rivals James Franco and Johnny Depp and holds his own. The only difference is he is not famous…at the moment. The secret behind his character will only add to his future success and will be the talk of the town when revealed. Rebecca Damon’s portrayal of Victoria Thornton is magical with every nuanced look and gesture. Judy Krause who plays Catherine Burroughs is a miracle – at once charming and gorgeous then calculating and downright evil and again sympathetic and tortured. The only difference between this micro-budgeted film and the other Independents are that the people involved are not well-known…yet. They will be. Take my word for it. If this little film can run the obstacle course of the festival circuit and gain momentum you will see these exceptionally talented people working again and again. If you feel like supporting this amazing small film go to their facebook page and become a fan. You won’t be sorry.

Power Brokers and the Glass Ceiling

We live in interesting and changing times.  The role of women in filmmaking is making major leaps forward and I, for one, am intrigued with the challenge.  I like to think of myself as the Alan Alda of the indy film reviewing world.  I like the idea of women taking charge in the film industry.  They’re great managers and when you have to work with a team you need a good manager.  Producers and Directors have to be able to communicate with large numbers of people.  Women have been perfecting that role for millennia.  The gender role is that of mother, housekeeper and boss of the proverbial nest.  Throw a guy into the job of keeping up with 2 to 8 kids, coordinating school and hired help and balancing the household checkbook.  It’ll drive one to drink.  I tried it once and gave it up---or, rather gave the big job back to my wife.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I like blockbusters.  Some of my favorites are Braveheart (despite Mel’s recent rants) Gladiator and Robin Hood (despite Russell’s recent rage induced actions) and the first Alien.  American film is born out of violence and sex.  The Great Train Robbery is the perfect case study.  A helpless ‘victimized’ woman is tied to the tracks of an oncoming train.  If the hero rescues her it is implied that her gratitude will be so great she’ll let him all up into her grill.  If he fails in his mission she will be violently dismembered.  But what if the same film had been made by a woman?  Ida Lupino?  Or Jane Campion? And played by Marlene Deitrich or Bette Davis? What if Angelina Jolie or Jodie Foster played the part?  How would the character use her own intelligence and problem solving skills to free herself?  How would the frame be composed and what interesting things would we discover? I find that an interesting choice and the Europeans, particularly the French, have explored this idea of women as heroin (albeit in a more subtle form) rather than victim for some time now. Look at the films of Catherine Deneuve and Isabella Huppert.  By the way, Angelina opens in a new film called Salt later this year and I look forward to seeing her play an action figure and carrying the story.  Another fantastic development is the historic win of Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker.  It’s about damn time.  The studio system has been a male dominated business since the beginning.  Men make movies men want to see.  It’s quite rare to find a male director willing to make a chick flick ‘just because’.  But if the demographic says there will be money made then they’ll do it.  I find it interesting that a glass ceiling has been in place for a particular gender.  Exceptional story-telling is genderless. Exceptional talent is genderless.  If the person can convey an engaging and insightful and, yes---emotional response from an audience, what difference does it make.  We are in the midst of a heightened ‘henny penny syndrome’ to coin a phrase from aquarium age by Ralfee Finn.  With the fall of the real estate market, the financial institutions, the health care system, our increasingly inept education system, the ongoing war and the ecological disaster of the gulf, people feel like the sky is falling.  And rightly so.  The daily stress of navigating our own private lives with the world about to implode does not make for a relaxing and enjoyable existence at the moment. Add to that the distractions of being connected via blackberry, FB, email and you tube and we are quite an isolated society.  Our interactions come from the internet and not so much face to face encounters anymore. We as sentient beings seek comfort.  And one of those ways is to be entertained by a good yarn.  We can step out of our mundane existence and identify with heroes and the hero’s journey.  Some like the tried and true formulaic tales because they know what the end brings.  And to the studios it brings revenue.  However, formula grows stale and the curious and adventuresome will give their time and money to an original and creative expression.  That is the difference between art and commerce.  The world is unpredictable.  Throw children into the mix and you have to be flexible and alert.  That’s where I know women excel.  Another film about to open that, honestly, I wasn’t sure I would like is The Children Are All Right by Lisa Cholodenko.  I like her work.  High Art was an interesting perspective on the human condition.  It revived Ally Sheedy’s career and made Patricia Clarkson the toast of the town.  Laurel Canyon made Frances McDormand a tour de Force.  And now we have a film about a same sex marriage and their kids but ultimately it is about family and not about gender.  It is universal and appealing to anyone who has ever dealt with family issues.  As the paradigm of distribution and technology shifts I am willing to bet that more movies will be made and received with glowing reviews by women in the industry.  As a nation and a global community the continuing trend of making socially conscious films is only a reflection of the current mindset of the audiences out there and a reaction to the more self-absorbed Hollywood movies of the recent past.  In today’s culture to be famous is to be infamous.  It requires no talent whatsoever, just a publicist and bad behavior.  Corruption is uncovered at every turn with the bright light of truth and people wanting to believe in integrity and ethics.  What do we teach our children to affect change?  Mom and dad both work and they share the household responsibilities.  No one wears the pants in the house.  That will go the way of the horse and buggy.  And truthfully that has been the great illusion for many hundreds of years. Women throughout history have not had a voice until the last fifty years.

I’ve had the opportunity to look at some of the assembly of A Rogue in Londinium and I find it fascinating that the director, Elizabeth Hamilton, has put the lead women in a place of power within a Victorian context.  I keep wondering if Richard really is the killer or not and that is one of the threads of the film.  The theme is Redemption.  Can a killer be redeemed?  If he is, indeed, the killer?  In reality we will never know who Jack the Ripper was.  We know what kind of man Richard is in the beginning and he is completely transformed by the woman he loves by the end.  And Victoria is transformed by the act of love and loving despite the dangers and complexities she encounters. They both take a risk and shed their old selves to become renewed and redeemed together.  Again a universal theme of going down into the underworld to slay the demons and rise from the ashes like the phoenix.  There is violence and a little gore, provocative situations, sexual suggestiveness and very brief nudity.  Nothing that hasn’t already been seen on HBO or Showtime.  It had a very intense effect on me and it is because I wasn’t able to ‘see’ everything.  I had to participate with the storyteller to fill in the places that aren’t overt. And that made me ‘feel’ on a very deep level.  There is a scene that takes place at a celebratory dinner where the characters are all speculating about the perpetrator.  Charles clarifies Prince Edward Victor’s prior statement:  “I think what he is trying to say is that women operate under the influence of emotion whereas men operate under the influence of Intellect.”  A very Victorian sentiment.  When Richard is asked of his opinion he says: “I think to make a gross generalization about literally half the population is to do them a great disservice.”  I must concur.  I know plenty of men that operate from emotion and it usually ends up in a pissing contest or a bar brawl.  And I also know plenty of women that operate from intellect.  Some of my ex’s were too detached and steely to heat up the pleasure dome.  When it comes right down to it, balance is the key in art, in love, in business, in life.  So sayeth the maestro of Willyburg.

It's a Brave New iWorld

First I need to apologize for being absent for about a month now.  Pressing work assignments and family stuff have kept me busy.  And the editing-slash-assembly of all the footage has been keeping the editor(s) of Londinium quite busy as of late.  As the months have passed I have been keeping my eye on what is being made and distributed and I find that there is a niche audience for this kind of film.  Certain periods in history seems to move in cycles corresponding with the public’s psyche.  For a while there was a huge Austrailian and New Zealand invasion with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Then there was a big Mexican influence in cinema with Pan’s Labyrinth and Y tu Mama Tambien.  Every decade or so there seems to be a resurgence of Holocaust/World War II films.  This year and last seems like the Victorian Era proves prominent in cinema and DVD.  Films like Bright Star by Jane Campion, The Young Victoria produced by Scorcese, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland both by Tim Burton, Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie and Cheri by Stephen Frears. Some being quite successful and others relegated to critical success with limited theatre runs and small box office.  Merchant and Ivory have molded their careers around Henry James’ novels and that time period.  It appeals to a certain type of moviegoer and not to everyone.  However, it seems that most directors take on at least one Victorian project just for the hell of it or maybe because there is a built in audience for these kinds of films.   Years ago (and I risk sounding like an old man) but the best place to see these lush period films with their lavish sets and brilliant costumes was on the big screen.  It still is the best place to see these movies and other period films only because seeing it big becomes the experience as if submerged in the time.  Dolby surround sound designed so that you’re hearing what you might hear while standing on that battlefield or dancing in that huge ballroom.  But the paradigm of delivery is shifting and with technology advancing at such a rapid rate it makes me wonder how these beautiful little gems will get to their respective audiences.  DVD is fine and with huge plasma screen TVs in some homes it tries to imitate the movie theatre experience.  But the option to ‘pause’ to go and get snacks or run to the bathroom or answer a phone call or text all thru a film renders the experience quite different.  And because we as a culture have become so distracted by all the little things in life it unfairly translates to the movie watching experience. While no one pauses the film in a theatre, people do get up and down and answer phone calls text constantly with little screens shining brightly in the dark and talk loudly as if they are in their own living rooms.  Being a cinephile it ruins my experience so I pick and choose exactly what I want to see on the big screen and where. That aside, my concern for this film is how it will run the obstacle course of getting from obscurity to the public.  The festival circuit is the tried and true way of trying to get juice behind a project.  But because there is a glut of content the competition is fierce.  Nowadays it seems that a publicist is a necessity in order to grab the attention of programmers and festival directors.  And you can’t just hire any publicist.  You have to do due diligence and really find the right fit for your film.  A little publicity including interviews in some of the trades is always helpful and that gets the ball rolling.  I feel confident that A Rogue in Londinium will find its way into a good festival and get some traction from there.  There are many ways that this particular film has veered off the tried and true path of movie making.  The way the filmmakers produced it and the surprise that will be the marketing hook will take it further than most.  Enough said on that.  Festivals aside the other concern is distribution.  It seems that the way of the future is VOD.  Video on Demand.  That is the last link on the road to delivery.  Hopefully if you’ve made a film and you’ve tended to it and loved it and marketed it well thru the festival circuit you may get a theatrical release.  Theatrical releases (with the exception of blockbusters and sci-fi) these days are primarily for critical acclaim, as the box office is usually paltry.  The other gamut to run with a project is approaching HBO, Showtime, STARZ and some of the other cable networks like IFC Channel and Sundance Channel for a limited release there.  The deliverables for cable, though, can be daunting.  And as my neighbors have informed me a lot of people are ditching cable.  The monthly cost of having access to these stations is just way too expensive in these lean times.  So people are turning to their computers and watching things on Hulu or Vimeo or downloads from HBO or Showtime.  The screens are getting smaller, too, as one can download just about anything from iTunes and watch it on your itouch, ipad or iphone.  If Apple has their way the entire culture of television will be downloaded as VOD from a mac computer (or iThing) to a large cinema-screen monitor (like a tv) and viewed that way.  Television sets will be a thing of the past like the Edsel.  I would not be at all surprised to find Apple/Google creating its own studio to deliver content to the iMasses.  I even heard the rumor that the new iPhone will have iMovie on it so that video recorded can also be edited right there in your hands anywhere and uploaded to share (via iFlip/iShare or You Tube, of course).  Bollywood has taken the challenge of creating an entire feature film using cell phones as the cameras.  (certainly recording audio separately).  I have watched scenes of the Londinium movie that have been stored on the director’s iTouch and while it is fun to hold the gizmo and experience the film that way, I wonder how that small screen effects some of the wonderful acting and how it is perceived.  Our eyes and brains are naturally inclined to see another at the actual size it appears.  That is where the emotions register and the nuances of thought can be sensed.  Magnify that and it becomes drama our ancient predecessor to religion and ritual.  It’s in our genes.  We want to feel.  Even when we don’t, we really do because it shakes us up and makes us sift through our own experiences or lack thereof.   In this new iWorld the DVD will be a thing of the past.  Blockbuster, Hollywood Video and even the mom and pops are going under.  Netflix began with DVD but it is steadily shifting to VOD.  The producer’s first film, My Brother’s War is on VOD with Netflix (as well as DVD for now).  With production tools so affordable anyone can make a movie in this age of Aquarius.  It will be up to the talent, i.e. writers, directors and actors to rise above the rest and shine.  That is why I have such confidence in this big little film.  It will certainly be interesting to see how talent navigates this new digital age and how the unions deal with the onslaught of new media.

A few people who have their fingers on the pulse of this ever changing landscape are Stacey Parks with her Film Specific site: filmspecific.com.  She was sending podcasts out to her fans on facebook during the Cannes Film Festival.  Interesting little tidbits for filmmakers and anyone interested in new trends developing in acquisitions.  The other trailblazer is Peter Broderick, president of Next Wave and independent consultant on the changing paradigm of production and delivery.  Anyone can be a filmmaker but not everyone can be an artist.